human resources

While a lot of business owners say they’re focused on keeping their employees happy, the truth of the matter is that they are more concerned about getting larger profits. What they don’t realise is that recent research has proven that keeping your employees happy results in them working more effectively, creatively and collaboratively resulting in an increase in productivity which in turn leads to bigger profits for the company. While conventional wisdom believes that paying your employees well will keep them happy, there are in fact several other components involved.

Allow Flexible Working Hours

More than the flexibility the employee receives which allows them to balance both the demands of their work and personal life, the trust from their employer that they will get what needs to be done within the required time frame is the key reason this works to increase employee satisfaction.

By allowing employees the freedom of creating their own working hours, you are allowing them to balance work and personal life while minimising stress. This is a sure way to increase happiness and minimise burnout.

Encourage Employees to Take Breaks

If Richard Branson has recognised the importance of this,so should we! Encourage employees to take regular breaks at work where they can have some downtime, connect with colleagues and be inspired - most fantastic ideas for work tend to pop up when you aren’t working!

Research showed that most employees feel guilty to take breaks while at work which results in sitting at their desks for longer, but decreases their productivity and can lead to burnout. Encourage employees to take regular breaks by keeping a lounge area well equipped with free snacks and drinks, gaming consoles or a pool table along with comfy chairs and some light reading material.

Make Meetings More Effective

Most employees view meetings as inefficient and a waste of time. While there are a plenty of meetings that occur, a general consensus is that not much of the tasks discussed at a meeting are actually carried out.

Instead of having meetings just for the sake of it, make your meetings structured and actionable with a clear plan. At the end of the meeting, an email should be sent out to all those that attended with a summary of the items discussed at the meeting, along with the tasks and who is responsible for each one, along with the deadlines.